Animal feeder

ABSTRACT

A device for holding and dispensing feed to animals in response to their agitation of a metering gate having agitation members carried thereon and extending inwardly and upwardly into the feed storage compartment. The metering gate is connected through an adjustable bracket to the end walls of the feeder for multidirectional adjustment. The metering gate is permitted limited longitudinal and pivotal movement to effect multidirectional agitation of the feed in the feeder.

United States Patent 1,719,245 7/1929 Smidley....................2,494,950 l/l950 Lee 3,019,766 2/1962 Pannier........................

Primary Examiner-Hugh R. Chamblee Attorney-Zarley, Mc Kee and Thomte[72] lnventor Floyd 0. Nelson P. 0. Box 452; 1 18 Broad St., SiouxRapids, Iowa 50585 [21] Appl. No. 783,670

[22] Filed Dec. 13, 1968 [45] Patented Jan. 5, 1971 [54] ANIMAL FEEDERABSTRACT: A device for holding and dispensing feed to animals inresponse to their agitation of a metering gate having agitation memberscarried thereon and extending inwardly and upwardly into the feedstorage compartment. The metering gate is connected through anadjustable bracket to the end walls of the feeder for multidirectionaladjustment. The metering gate is permitted limited longitudinal andpivotal movement to effect multidirectional agitation of the feed in thefeeder.

5 3 3/5, fiMW wkH 1m 5 A S T. N m MA .IP CS as m m F m nT M m Th T w MIL Mm CS J GUhM H O m HUN 6 1,524,619 l/l925Harrington................... 119/535 ANIMAL FEEDER A common problemwith animal feeders is obtaining a continuous flow of feed to thefeeding troughs of the feeders. The feed will tend to bridgeover insidethe feeder. This bridgeover increases with the moisture content of thefeed and also the finer the feed particles are ground the greater thebridgeover problem becomes.

This invention provides a simplified agitation means which is responsiveto the feeding action resulting from animals eating at the feeder. Thefeeder is provided with a metering gate pivotally and longitudinallymovable between the feeder end walls and exposed to animals feeding suchthat their contact with the gate will move the gate and thereby move theagitation means inside the feed compartment. The movement of theagitation means is multidirectional and thereby maximizes the agitationof the feed in the feed compartment with a minimum of gate movement.

The gate is pivotally mounted within a pair of channels at opposite endsthereof which in turn are adjustably secured for multidirectionalmovement relative to the end adjustable of the feeder. The side flangesof the channels limit the pivotal movement of the gate and the channelsare spaced sufficiently outwardly from the ends of the gate to permitlongitudinal movement of the gate between the channels.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction arrangements, andcombination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objectscontemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth,specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the animal feeder of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 22 in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of the structureshown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a crosssectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

The feeder of this invention is referred to generally in FIG. 1 by thereference numeral 10 and includes opposite end walls I4 and I6interconnected by opposite sidewalls l8 and 20 which cooperate with abottom structure 22 to form therebetween a feed storage compartment 24as seen in FIG. 3.

The bottom structure 22 includes identical sidewalls and bottom troughs25 and 26. The troughs include outer vertical sidewall portions 28 whichmerge with inwardly and downwardly tapering sidewalls 30 and 32 whichmeet opposite sides of the bottom wall 34 of the respective troughs. Astep 40 is provided for animals to step up and reach the feed in thetrough 25 and 26.

An inner dividing wall 41 extends the length of the feeder then isbolted to the trough wall portions 32.

The sidewalls 18 and 20 extend downwardly and inwardly and terminate inspaced relationship above the bottoms of the trough 25 and 26respectively. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 the sidewalls 18 are almostperpendicular to the trough wall portions 32.

Each of the sidewalls l8 and 20 have metering gates 42 and 44respectively associated therewith and are identical in arrangement andconstruction. A mounting plate bracket 45 is secured to the end walls 14and 16 through pins 46 and 48 extending through longitudinally extendingslots 50 and 52. A transverselyextending, slightly arcuate slot 54 isformed in the end walls 14 and 16 to permit pivotal movement of theplates 44 about an axis through the pins 46. Hand operated nuts 56 and58 are provided on the exterior of the end walls in engagement with thebolts 46 and 48 respectively such that adjustment from the exterior maybe accomplished for the metering gates 42 and 44. The mounting plates 44may be manually adjusted by gripping the inwardly extending portions 58at the upper end thereof as seen in FIG. 5.

At the lower end of each of the mounting plates 44 channelshapedelements 60 are fixedly secured thereto and nestingly receive oppositeends of the gates 42 and 44. A pivot pin 64 extends inwardly from eachof the plates 45 and engages the gates on the end adjacent the toplongitudinal edges. It is seen in FIG. 6 that the gates 42 and 44 aresmaller in width that the distance between the side flanges 66 and 68 ofthe channel elements 60 and thus the gates may pivot a limited amounttherebetween as indicated by the solid and dark line representations inFIG. 4. It is further seen that a space 70 is provided between the endof the gate 42 and the base 72 of the channel element 60 such that thegate 42 may move longitudinally between the channels as seen by thesolid and dash line representations in FIG. 5. T

An agitation rod 74 is carried on the gates 42 and 44 and includes aninwardly extending portion 76 terminating in a free upwardly extendingportion 78 and thus the agitation element '74 moves as a unitary memberwith the gates 42 and 44. As seen in FIG. 2, each of the gates includestwo oppositely disposed agitation rod elements 74.

The outer sides of the gates 42 and 44 include a series of guide guardrods 81) with their opposite ends bolted to the gates and therebyproviding a series of feeding stations for the troughs 24 and 26. Theanimals, such as pigs, will be limited in their feeding at the troughsby the space provided between each pair of guides or rods 80.Furthermore engagement of the guards 80 will impart motion to the gatesand cause agitation within the feed compartment 16 to maintain acontinuous flow of feed into the feeding troughs 24 and 26.

It is seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 that a top structure is provided whichincludes horizontally disposed inwardly extending top flanges 81 havingdownwardly offset support edges 82 on which a removable top cover member84 is supported.

Thusin operation it is seen that the gates are adjusted for height andcloseness to the sidewalls l8 and 20 as is appropriate for the animalsand the feed involved in the usage. An adjustment of the mounting plate44 is accomplished by operation of the portion 58 in cooperation withthe hand nuts 66. The agitation rods 74 extend under the sidewalls I8and 20 and upwardly into the feeding compartment 16 and are free to movein multiple directions as the gates 42 and 44 move both longitudinallyas seen in FIG. 5 and inwardly and outwardly as seen in FIG. 4. Thiswill provide sufficient agitation to keep the feed in the compartment 24freely flowing.

Iclaim:

1. An animal feeder, comprising:

an enclosure having opposite end walls and opposite sidewalls and abottom structure defining a feed compartment;

a movable metering gate positioned to extend below the lower edge of oneof said sidewalls and adjacent said bottom structure;

said bottom structure including a feeding trough under said gate and incommunication with said feed compartment;

an agitation means operably connected to said metering gate andextending into said feed compartment for agitation of feed therein uponsaid gate being moved thereby maintaining the free flow of feed fromsaid compartment and out past said gate;

said gate being positioned outwardly of said adjacent sidewalls insubstantial overlapping relationship therewith and said agitation meansbeing secured directly to said gate and extending under said adjacentsidewall and upwardly into said compartment;

said moveable metering gate including a lower side edge positioned oversaid feeding trough and adapted to be moved by animals engaging saidgate while feeding at said trough;

connecting means being provided for pivotally connecting said gate atopposite ends to said opposite end walls; and

, channels embracing the ends of said ate and having sufficient ,widthfor .pivotal movement of said gate therein.

'JLTh e structure of claim 2 wherein said gate is connected through saidconnecting means to said end walls for adjustable movement of said gate"vertically, rel e tr) trough and inwardlyand outwardly relative to saidadjacent e iid ew alls.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said connecting includes a plateelement on the inner s'ide pfeach el l dil i lljand having boltsconnecting it to said sidewall through a pair .of

elongated longitudinally extending slots in each of said plates,

ens bavias a e t ndi slot -z am ment with vthe lowest :mt'rorpivommovement of said gate about the aitispf thetopbolt, said channels beingfla edly secured .to plat a d gatebeingpivotally connected adjacent itsupper longitudinal edgeto said plates, and

tightening ,nt eana engaging said boltson'the exterior of said endwalls", said tightening means being'exposed and thereby accessible'formanual adjustment. a

i 5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said agitation means includeapluralityuot' independent members spaced apart in mlpyi aiextendingfreezend portion.

6 The structure ofclairn 1 wherein atpp means are provided onpppoeite ofgate to limitipivo'tal movement of said i i al9nfs th 9f w n sh q m i n:a 1 ext: ding inwardly under said adjacent sidewalls

1. An animal feeder, comprising: an enclosure having opposite end wallsand opposite sidewalls and a bottom structure defining a feedcompartment; a movable metering gate positioned to extend below thelower edge of one of said sidewalls and adjacent said bottom structure;said bottom structure including a feeding trough under said gate and incommunication with said feed compartment; an agitation means operablyconnected To said metering gate and extending into said feed compartmentfor agitation of feed therein upon said gate being moved therebymaintaining the free flow of feed from said compartment and out pastsaid gate; said gate being positioned outwardly of said adjacentsidewalls in substantial overlapping relationship therewith and saidagitation means being secured directly to said gate and extending undersaid adjacent sidewall and upwardly into said compartment; said moveablemetering gate including a lower side edge positioned over said feedingtrough and adapted to be moved by animals engaging said gate whilefeeding at said trough; connecting means being provided for pivotallyconnecting said gate at opposite ends to said opposite end walls; andsaid connecting means being positioned between said end walls and theends of said gate such that said gate may move longitudinally back andforth between said end walls and thereby effect multidirectionalmovement of said agitation means in said compartment.
 2. The structureof claim 1 wherein said connecting means include a pair of inwardlyfacing channels, one at each end of said gate and secured to theadjacent opposite end walls, said channels embracing the ends of saidgate and having sufficient width for pivotal movement of said gatetherein.
 3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said gate is connectedthrough said connecting means to said end walls for adjustable movementof said gate vertically, relative to said trough and inwardly andoutwardly relative to said adjacent sidewalls.
 4. The structure of claim3 wherein said connecting means includes a plate element on the innerside of each end wall and having bolts connecting it to said sidewallthrough a pair of elongated longitudinally extending slots in each ofsaid plates, said end walls having a transversely extending slot inalignment with the lowest elongated slot for pivotal movement of saidgate about the axis of the top bolt, said channels being fixedly securedto said plates and said gate being pivotally connected adjacent itsupper longitudinal edge to said plates, and tightening means engagingsaid bolts on the exterior of said end walls, said tightening meansbeing exposed and thereby accessible for manual adjustment.
 5. Thestructure of claim 1 wherein said agitation means include a plurality ofindependent rod members spaced apart along the length of said gate andeach rod member having a first portion extending inwardly under saidadjacent sidewalls and terminating in an upwardly extending free endportion.
 6. The structure of claim 1 wherein stop means are provided onopposite sides of said gate to limit pivotal movement of said gate.